Aerospace & Defense

  • January 16, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Calls Newman's Constitutional Challenge 'Meritless'

    The Federal Circuit Judicial Council urged the D.C. Circuit on Thursday to reject U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman's argument that the suspension her colleagues have imposed on her for refusing to participate in an investigation into her fitness to serve on the bench is unconstitutional.

  • January 16, 2025

    3M Hit With PFAS Suit Over Wash. Resident's Cancer Diagnosis

    A woman who lives near the Spokane International Airport filed suit Thursday against 3M, DuPont and various other companies over alleged "forever chemical" contamination of her drinking water, claiming her adult son has developed cancer after decades of exposure.

  • January 16, 2025

    Trump EPA Pick Faces Climate Questions, Dodges Details

    President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday tried to steer clear of controversy at a Senate confirmation hearing, taking a conciliatory tone, deferring judgment on specific matters and promising to exercise independence.

  • January 16, 2025

    Spirit Aero Hit With Chancery Suit Over $8.3B Boeing Merger

    A Spirit Aerosystems stockholder has launched a proposed class suit in the Delaware Chancery Court challenging the company's $8.3 billion all-stock acquisition by its largest customer, Boeing, announced in July 2024, citing disclosure failures and other concerns.

  • January 16, 2025

    Cleveland-Cliffs Sets Sights On US Steel, And More Rumors

    Cleveland-Cliffs has re-emerged as a potential suitor to purchase U.S. Steel after President Joe Biden blocked Nippon's planned purchase, TikTok could be sold to Elon Musk, and Prada is among potential suitors eyeing Versace. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • January 16, 2025

    Menendez Judge Urges Lawyers To Streamline Wife's Trial

    A Manhattan federal judge urged attorneys on Thursday to cut down their 10-week estimate for the upcoming bribery trial of former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez's wife, Nadine, warning against "boring everybody" with a slog of custodial witnesses

  • January 15, 2025

    GE Investors' $362.5M Settlement Gets Initial Greenlight

    Investors in manufacturing giant General Electric Co. have gotten an initial nod for their proposed $362.5 million eve-of-trial deal to end long-running claims that the company fraudulently concealed cash flow problems, allegedly resulting in plummeting shares after its fiscal woes were disclosed.

  • January 15, 2025

    Outgoing FCC Chair Touts 'Wins On The Board'

    With less than a week left in office, the chief of the Biden-era Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday highlighted the accomplishments of her tenure, including efforts to connect more Americans and advance space-based communications, but warned that a number of problems ranging from cybersecurity threats to the digital divide persist.

  • January 15, 2025

    DOD Chief's Secret Hospitalizations Risked National Security

    A U.S. Department of Defense watchdog has called for the DOD to improve notification and authority transfer procedures for when its leader is incapacitated, saying secrecy around Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's 2023 and 2024 hospitalizations had risked national security.

  • January 15, 2025

    3M Wants Conn. AG's PFAS Case Paused For 2nd Circ. Appeal

    3M has urged a Connecticut Superior Court to stay the state's environmental lawsuit seeking damages for "forever chemical" pollution the company allegedly created, saying the Second Circuit should first review a federal judge's order remanding the case to state court.

  • January 15, 2025

    Shipbuilder Inks $1M FCA Deal To End Worker Eligibility Row

    A Louisiana-based shipbuilder agreed to fork over more than $1 million to settle claims that it failed to verify several workers' employment eligibility through E-verify, and knowingly billed the U.S. Coast Guard for that labor, the Department of Justice said Wednesday.

  • January 15, 2025

    GAO Backs Protest Over Air Force's Use Of Contracting Model

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office urged the Air Force to revisit a solicitation for pilot augmentation support services in Europe and Africa, sustaining an Ohio company's protest that it used a contracting model federal agencies are supposed to try to avoid.

  • January 15, 2025

    Boeing Vexes Judge In 737 Max Records Flap With Airline

    The Boeing Co. can't use a now-defunct South African airline's loss of records to dodge a suit over fallout from a 737 Max airplane deal, a Washington federal judge has said, chiding the aerospace giant for offering thin circumstantial evidence of intent without any "smoking gun."

  • January 15, 2025

    Retired Admiral's Bribery Trial Postponed To May

    A D.C. federal judge on Wednesday postponed a bribery trial for a retired Navy admiral accused of steering a government contract to two executives of a New York company, finding the volume of discovery material in the case justified the delay.

  • January 15, 2025

    SpaceX Suit Must Fail, Calif. Coastal Commission Tells Judge

    The California Coastal Commission urged a federal judge to throw out a SpaceX lawsuit alleging it has unlawfully tried to stymie the company's rocket launches and engaged in "naked political discrimination" against CEO Elon Musk, arguing the company's claims don't pass muster.

  • January 14, 2025

    FBI Deletes China-Backed Malware From Windows Computers

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and French law enforcement and security partners have deleted malware used by Chinese government-backed hackers from thousands of computers worldwide, including home computers in the U.S., the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced Tuesday.

  • January 14, 2025

    BofA Says Military Interest Law, Not Bank, To Blame In Suit

    Bank of America has hit back at a class action suit accusing the financial giant of violating an interest cap law for military service members, arguing that the suit fails to allege any actual violations of the law and that Congress considered and decided against the interest rate requirement that the plaintiffs seek to impose.

  • January 14, 2025

    DOJ Says Software Co.'s $12.7M Copyright Win Is Sufficient

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday defended a judge's decision to award a software developer $12.7 million after a federal contractor made unauthorized copies of its software, telling the Federal Circuit the award was correctly calculated.

  • January 14, 2025

    FAR Council Wants Uniform View Of Controlled Information

    The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council on Tuesday issued a pair of long-awaited proposed regulations, seeking to define and protect controlled unclassified information across the government and to update rules related to conflicts of interest involving contractors.

  • January 14, 2025

    Biden Order Outlines Steps For Bolstering AI Infrastructure

    President Joe Biden issued an executive order Tuesday that aims to shape the country into an artificial intelligence infrastructure leader by working with the private sector to build data centers.

  • January 14, 2025

    OIG Wants Corps' Overruns, Delays To Inform Future Projects

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regularly faced cost increases and delays on four military construction projects and should take steps to learn from and mitigate such problems, a federal watchdog said in a new report.

  • January 14, 2025

    Biden Finalizes Ban On Chinese, Russian Connected Car Tech

    The Biden administration on Tuesday finalized a rule banning the import and sale in the U.S. of passenger vehicles with certain connectivity components made in China or Russia that the administration says could pose national security risks to American infrastructure and consumers.

  • January 14, 2025

    DOD Chief Nom Pledges 'Lethality' Focus Amid Dem Criticism

    Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth promised Tuesday that he would refocus the military on "lethality," as Democratic senators hammered him on issues such as his criticism of women serving in the military and an alleged lack of relevant management experience.

  • January 14, 2025

    Lockheed, CNA Pause Coverage Suit Amid Settlement Talks

    A Maryland federal court agreed Tuesday to continue pausing a dispute between Lockheed Martin Corp. and a CNA Financial unit over coverage for lawsuits accusing the aerospace and defense giant of environmental contamination, as the parties negotiate a potential coverage settlement.

  • January 14, 2025

    Nadine Menendez Trial Might Be Longer Than Ex-Senator's

    Prosecutors and attorneys for Nadine Menendez told a Manhattan federal judge that her trial might last longer than that of her husband, former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, with the parties still at odds over stipulations about evidence.

Expert Analysis

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents

    Author Photo

    Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • What Cos. Should Note In DOJ's New Whistleblower Pilot

    Author Photo

    After the U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a new whistleblower pilot program last week — continuing its efforts to incentivize individual reporting of misconduct — companies should review the eligibility criteria, update their compliance programs and consider the risks and benefits of making their own self-disclosures, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.

  • SolarWinds Ruling Offers Cyber Incident Response Takeaways

    Author Photo

    The New York federal court's dismissal of all charges related to the 2019 Sunburst cyberattack is a devastating blow to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's cybersecurity case against SolarWinds, but the well-reasoned opinion provides valuable lessons that may improve companies' defensive posture in the wake of a major cybersecurity incident, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

    Author Photo

    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • Pros And Cons Of 2025 NDAA's Space Contracting Proposal

    Author Photo

    The introduction of a Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve fleet in the pending 2025 National Defense Authorization Act presents a significant opportunity for space and satellite companies — despite outstanding questions, and potential risks, for operators, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

    Author Photo

    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Preserving Payment Rights

    Author Photo

    Stephanie Magnell and Zachary Jacobson at Seyfarth examine three recent decisions that together illustrate the importance of keeping accurate records and adhering to contractual procedures to avoid inadvertently waiving contractual rights to cost reimbursements or nonroutine payments.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

    Author Photo

    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Recent Settlement Shows 'China Initiative' Has Life After Death

    Author Photo

    Though the U.S. Department of Justice shuttered its controversial China Initiative two years ago, its recent False Claims Act settlement with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation demonstrates that prosecutors are more than willing to civilly pursue research institutions whose employees were previously targeted, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Opinion

    OFAC Sanctions Deserve To Be Challenged Post-Chevron

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper Bright decision opens the door to challenges against the Office of Foreign Assets Control's sanctions regime, the unintended consequences of which raise serious questions about the wisdom of what appears to be a scorched-earth approach, says Solomon Shinerock at Lewis Baach.

  • Congress Quietly Amends FEPA: What Cos. Should Do Now

    Author Photo

    Last week, Congress revised the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act — passed last year to criminalize demand-side foreign bribery — to address inconsistencies and better harmonize the law with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and companies should review their compliance programs accordingly, say Mark Mendelsohn and Benjamin Klein at Paul Weiss.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Standing, Prejudice, Conflicts

    Author Photo

    In this month's bid protest roundup, Caitlin Crujido at MoFo examines three recent decisions from the U.S. Government Accountability Office concerning whether a would-be protestor was an interested party with standing, whether an agency adequately investigated potential procurement violations and whether a proposed firewall sufficiently addressed an impaired objectivity organizational conflict of interest.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Aerospace & Defense archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!